Singing lullabies
by atomic muffin
Summary: It's almost too easy to make an Uchiha fall into depravity, Mikoto noticed as she pushed many of her clanmates over the metaphorical edge. Mostly because no one is surprised when it happens. Uchiha Mikoto-is-Arba Centric, Magi x Naruto Crossover. Dark.
1. Chapter 1

Title : Singing lullabies

Summary : It's almost too easy to make an Uchiha fall into depravity, Mikoto noticed as she pushed many of her clanmates over the metaphorical edge. Mostly because no one is surprised when it happens. Uchiha Mikoto-is-Arba Centric, Magi x Naruto Crossover. Dark.

Disclaimer : Neither Naruto or Magi are mine.

Rated M : not really a sunshine-and-rainbow fic, just so you know

Format : multi-parts, but not really chapters, so collection of vignettes, I guess?

Note : I'm not beta'ed and Engligh isn't my first langage

.

* * *

Singing lullabies (of despair)

.

I. Decay and madness.

.

.

' _This world is rotten'_ , she numbly thought as she watched her thirteen years old teammate get litteraly eviscerated by an Iwa shinobi.

Poor Masato never stood a chance. The dead-last of her promotion, put as usual with the first-rated shinobi, wonder-boy Namikaze Minato and herself, best kunoichi among a hopeless bunch of pre-teen superficial flowers. Masato, whose only skill as a shinobi was his weak presence, who would have trouble hurting a fly, should never had put a foot on a battlefield. No children should, though.

But Masato is an Hyuga, and Hyuga are shinobi of Konoha, not cooks or gardeners or accountants, as the soft-spoken child should have the possibility to become. And now his body lied in the bloody ground, and the corpse of his killer fell next to his as Minato burried his Kunai in the Iwa nin's neck with a cry of despair.

 _'This world is rotten'_ , she suddently remembered as she watched her so-called genious teammate fell on his knees, red hands covered in blood clutching his dirty blond hair, his impossibly blue eyes blurry with sorrow.

Just like her King had been, many, many times before. But Solomon had always recovered, because he was like that, and so Minato would. Until he wouldn't.

Alma Toran. Solomon. And an ideal of peace. To hell with that. This world was made for despair, and dirt, and blood, and hate, just like the previous one had been. A God-less world. But she would see to that. She would bring her magnificent Father back, and drown in His glorious beauty again. And the world would been right again.

' _This world is rotten'_ , she grinned as she remembered stabbing Sheba to the gut, leaving her closest friend and her unborn child to die in the dirt, with the agonizing knowledge that she had _failed_ to protect her child and her King and everything he stood for from her best friend. So. Tragic.

 _'Watch me, Father. This is for you. I'll burn this world and its cursed destiny to the ground. And then I'll dance on the ashes and you will be freed once again.'_

Dark small birds no one but her in this cursed place could see adorned her body, singing that bittersweet lullaby of despair she adored.

And the newly awoken Mangekyo Sharingan spinned madly in Mikoto's eyes.

.

.

It would take four hours for Jiraiya to find them. Four hours was a very long time to be lost on a battlefield for three thirteen-years old freshly promoted chunnin. Especially knowing they never would have been promoted so early in the first place if not for the need of canonfolk. If not for _war_.

One small part of her yet to be fazed by bloodlust wondered if he would recognized them, their idiotic sensei. After all, he had parted with "his cute little genin" not two days ago and what was left now ?

A dead body and two monsters.

He truly was impressive, cute little Minato. Quick, merciless, ingenious, driven by his grief yet not controlled but it, the Konoha Chuunin left a trail of bodies on his passage, bodies of shinobi that undoubtly didn't saw it coming. Quite the achievement from a thirteen-year old who had never truly fought for his life before.

Herself didn't count. She hadn't been thirteen for centuries, and had seen for than her share of battle.

Because in the end, no matter the worlds, it always came to that. Herself, right in the middle of the comotion, cutting, burning, drowing, tearing her enemies apart until there was nothing left to fight for.

A world in red, red as a bloody Mangekyo Sharingan.

What a glorious technic. What a twisted curse.

Everything felt easier under the Sharingan. All you had to do was follow your instinct, and strike accordingly. No need for Mikoto to think about the corpse she used to call her friend, of the composed teammate she could hardly recognise nor of the crushing weight of the thousand-years worth of memories suddently fallen on her shoulders. No need for Arba to brood over betrayals, her world destroyed nor her forsaken God.

The joy to be lost to the red. If only she could stay that way forever.

"Mikoto!", cried out her opponent, as he avoid the Fireball she threw his way. "Mikoto, it's me, Minato!"

Minato ? Who's Minato ? All Arba saw was a foolish _boy_ who called himself God. Did he really thought he could fool her ? The Ruths surrending him betrayed him, the idiot. The painfully white Ruthes, dancing in joy when close to their master. _Solomon._

And Solomon needed to _die_. By her hand.

"Stop.", Minato ordered, his voice firm yet soft and so damned _familiar._ May her Lord forgive her, but she _did_. Because a part of her was still _his_ faithful follower, his most trusted advisor, his _magi_.

And so the red receded from her eyes.

The memories and the rage never left though. They would just have to wait for another day.

.

.

He did recognise them, their sensei, in spite of her doubts. Probably because the Sannin wasn't to his first war, unlike them (well...unlike Minato, at least). Jiraiya had seen his content of broken children.

And he wept a bit on the inside. Mikoto could tell.


	2. Chapter 2

Title : Singing lullabies

Summary : It's almost too easy to make an Uchiha fall into depravity, Mikoto noticed as she pushed many of her clanmates over the metaphorical edge. Mostly because no one is surprised when it happens. Uchiha Mikoto-is-Arba Centric, Magi x Naruto Crossover. Dark.

Disclaimer : Neither Naruto or Magi are mine.

Rated M : not really a sunshine-and-rainbow fic, just so you know

Format : multi-parts, but not really chapters, so collection of vignettes, I guess?

Note : I'm not beta'ed and Engligh isn't my first langage

.

* * *

Singing lullabies (of despair)

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II. Black and White

.

.

Mikoto was just finishing her shopping trip for pointy letal toys when one of the most _beautiful_ Dark Ruth Mikoto had ever lay eyes upon landed briefly on her shoulder before resuming its journey.

Naturally she followed it. There was no way in hell she would just go back to the compound without at least trying to know who produced such a concentration of hate for their own fate, without her personal intervention.

The odd thing, Mikoto noticed as she drew closer to the source of the mallevolent chakra, was that the Dark Ruths seemed to be intimelly linked with disgustingly pure White ones, as if the two kinds came from the same vessel.

Arba just _had_ to find out. And find out she did.

.

.

Sheba.

Sheba, here, just in front her. All flamboyant hair, huge smile and determined eyes. With her usual strong and pure Ruths dancing around her, and Arba wanted to cry, wanted to kill something, wanted to laugh hysterically until the world crumbled under her feet.

Sheba, drapped on a kunoichi attire, loudly ordering for another bowl of ramen.

And Mikoto just stood there, bemused, deeply regretting the days were things still made sense.

"It's kinda rude to stare at people, ya know.", Sheba frowned at her, finally adressing her stalker, as she turned to face Mikoto, her chopstiks still fermly held in her hand.

It really was, and definitly not Mikoto-like. 'Get a grip, damnit. So the reincarnation of the best friend you stabbed without remorse a thousand years ago stands in front of you, alive and kicking and bitching. _Big deal_.'

"Oh, I'm so sorry", she smiled sweetly at the red-haired fellow kunoichi. "Your beautiful hair completely caught my attention."

'When in doubt, flirt shamelessly'. That had to be the only thing she learned from her useless teacher. Besides, it wasn't even that much of a lie.

Sheba's face turned as red as her hair as she stuttered incoherently at the completely unexpected bold declaration. Some tings never changed.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I upset you, I swear I didn't meant to," Mikoto shamelessly lied through her teeth, while keeping the friendly grin on. "Have we met before? Your face seems familiar to me."

Now that she though about it, it kinda did, outside of the whole Sheba dreadful buisness, that's it.

"I'm Uzumaki Ku..Kushina," the poor thing managed to say, her eyes still wide with incredulity and embarrassment. Arba knew that face, for having seen it many times before when Sheba couldn't seemed to choose beetween wanting to stab something or dissolve into a puddle of humble self-awareness. "We were in the same class at the Academy, ya know!"

Uzumaki Kushina. _Of course_. Uzumaki I'm-gonna-be-Hokage-ya-know Kushina. Uzumaki Minato-was-so-not-having-an-oblivious-crush-on Kushina.

Oh my, the usual _Solomon and Sheba_ show, right back on track. Mikoto felt so not ready for this nonsense.

"You're completely right, my bad, Uzumaki-san," she even to managed an embarrassed smile for effect. "We were in the same class for years and I never properly presented myself, I feel so terrible!"

"Ah, it's fine, ya know!", Kushina grinned, still blushing though the red of her face had diminished to a pretty shade of pink. Shame. "I didn't either so I guess we're even!"

"Still, not to recognize the girlfriend of my teammate," the Uchiha's heiress sighed, figthing the urge to laugh at the face Minato would make at her jab. "Shame on me."

Foolish Kushina did not disappoint though.

"Girl...girlfriend? Who's that sassy's girldriend? We're not..I mean..."

"No?" she mused with an impressive display of casualness. "My bad, I though so, since Minato-kun speaks all the time about Uzumaki-san. Oh well."

Well, he did, in fact, from time to time, let something slip about some Kushina-san. However, since both Jiraiya and herself never failed to tease him about his 'crush', Minato had become more tingue-tied about the matter. Which had hardly stopped them anyway. Arba had kept little pleasures in life, but making Solomon's life hell, in all his incarnations, definitly remained one. A girl just had to have her hobbies, beetween backstabbing betrayals and worldwide destruction.

"Really? Not that I really care or anything!" the Uzumaki hastly added, trying her best not to appeared pleased at the admission.

What a perfect exemple of pre-pubescent denial. So sweet Mikoto would puke here and there had she not develop extrem self-control over the years.

"Of course. I'm afraid I have a huge advantage on our acquaintance, Uzumaki-san. I feel like I know so much about you already."

She did as a matter of fact. Not the things she most _needeed_ to know however, such as _where did those Black Ruths came from, damnit?_ Sheba couldn't be the one producing them, which meant something else did. Something _inside_ one clueless Uzumaki Kushina. Or wasn't she?

Arba was missing a huge piece of the mystery, and she absolutly _hated_ it.

"Does that meant Uzumaki-san is up for grabs?" Mikoto went for the final kill with a deliberate sly grin full of innuendo, and her interlocutor reached level of redness never accomplished before on a human face. "I'm just kidding! Minato-kun would definitly skin me alive, and, as much as cutie Uzumaki-san is, I rather like my skin where it is!"

Fortunatly, the blushing young girl was relieved from having to find a appropriate answer to Mikoto's daring statement by what had to be a divine intervention from the Ramen God.

"And there come your Pork Miso, only the best for my favorite customer!" the chief put down a huge bowl in front of the confused Uzumaki, before he took notice of Mikoto's presence. _Civilian_. "Oh, is that your friend, Kushina-chan?"

"I'm her boyfriend's teammate, Uchiha Mikoto", she presented herself with a sligh bow.

"Ah, Minato-kun's friend then?" the cook grinned, completely discarding his 'favorite customer's' indignant cries of protestation. "I knew something was going on beetween those two. Well, can I get you something, Uchiha-san? It's on the house."

Ugh. Ramen had to be like, unhealthiest food ever.

"Thanks for the offer, but I've eaten already", Mikoto lied smoothly, flashing the older man with a regretful smile as he nodded and then went taking another customer's order.

"Ya know, Minato was kind of right about you," Kushina mused out loud, as she started at her ramen with what passed for thoughfulness for her.

As if Solomon had ever been right about anything in his life before. He certainly wasn't going to start now. "Oh? What did my dear teammate have to say about me?"

"That you're not the a typical Uchiha. I'm pretty sure it was a compliment."

Arba had to laugh at that one. Wasn't Minato _so_ perceptive? "Uzumaki-san, I can assure you, I'm not your typical _anything_."

.

.

"Hey, Mikoto, remember what you said about my hair the day we met..?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Did you...meant it? I mean...ya know, never mind."

.

.

 _Once upon a time, Arba used to run her fingers through sunset locks._

" _He's never going to accept me," whined Sheba, her voice unusually frail._

" _Of course he will, you just have to be perseverent," the older woman argued, containing a long-suffering smirk. "You will worn him down eventually. Trust me on that. And stop fidgeting would you ? We're never gonna be done overwise."_

 _Standing still on her seat, Sheba had the nerve to roll her eyes at her surrogate sister._

" _You're the one insisting on petting my hair, ya know!"Arba teasingly pulled a strand of her friend's hair as 'punishment' for her cheekness. "Ow! I'm never letting you even close to my head again!"_

" _My, don't be so dramatic," she laughed softly as she began to form a small braid with a few wild strands._

" _I'm tired of being rejected, Arba. It's been like, the fourth time this week," the petite woman sighed, with a dejected look on her face. "There are so many hit a girl can take, ya know."_

" _Solomon's not rejecting you," affirmed her compagnion with conviction. "If he was, he certainly would have take you aside and told you he just wasn't interested, even if you were a nice girl or something. Trust me, the guy's in denial."_

 _Her speech made her small affect, as her yonger friend straightened up with a more in-caracter expression of determination on her features. Solomon wouldn't know what hit him, that idiotic master._

" _You're totally right! Thanks Arba!"_

" _You're welcome, sweetheart. Anything for my two favorite people in the world."_

 _Once upon a time, Arba used to run her fingers through sunset locks. It was a long time ago though._

 _._

 _._

"Of course I meant it. Your hair are beautiful, Kushina-san."

.

.

And then eventually Mikoto learned about those magnificient creatures named Bijuus and their Jinchurikis. What a _brillant_ idea, and not even hers.

Sometimes, Arba could only wonder why she was there for. Clearly, humankind hardly needed her help to destroy itself.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary : It's almost too easy to make an Uchiha fall into depravity, Mikoto noticed as she pushed many of her clanmen over the metaphorical edge. Mostly because no one is surprised when it happens. Uchiha Mikoto-is-Arba Centric, Magi x Naruto Crossover. Dark.

Disclaimer : Neither Naruto or Magi are mine.

Rated M : not really a sunshine-and-rainbow fic, just so you know. It's _Arba_ we're talking about.

Note : I'm not beta'ed and Engligh isn't my first langage

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* * *

Singing lullabies (of despair)

.

III. Kings and orphans

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If Mikoto had any doubts left about Namikaze Minato's real persona, those would have been eradicated by the sight he made at this instant. The tall figure of her teammate, standing regal and confident at the doors of Konoha, as hundreds of white Ruths sang the return of their beloved master to the den.

Somehow, Jiraiya had taken a broken boy to hit the road for a year and had brought back a _king_.

Solomon, _Solomon_ , all over again, staring at her with those innervingly blue eyes of his. Windows to his soul, Arba used to think at the time she still had use of notions like romance or poetry. Windows to his _bullshit_ , more like.

He shouldn't be there. He couldn't be there. After all, Solomon had died or spread himself and his cursed Destiny or something. And yet, for half a second, Mikoto's breath just stopped. For half a second, Arba had to fight to urge to kneel in front of her King, and beg for forgiveness. _Forgiveness_. As if she regretted anything. As if she had been the one in the wrong. The way she remembered what happened back then, it hadn't been _Arba_ that tried to kill God.

Mikoto still had no idea how or why Solomon was here, disguised as her fifteen-year old teammate, but boy she would make him pay. One way or another.

"Mikoto-san, Kushina-san," Minato greeted his welcoming party with a goofy smile, their sensei on his heels. Nevermind what she had said before, he hadn't changed _one bit_.

Mikoto glanced to her 'friend', who she had quite forgotten in the rush. To be fair, judging by the wide eyes Kushina was giving Minato, the redhead probably had all forgotten about Mikoto as well. And here it came, the infamous Uzumaki blush, burning the skin of Kushina's cheeks with renewed vigor.

"Welcome back, Minato-kun," Mikoto eventually took upon herself to reply, when it became clear that her partner-in-crime had lost all motor functions for the time being. "It's good to finally see you back."

Namikaze's blue eyes glinted happily at her. Mikoto had never wanted to poke anything so badly before. "Thanks. You look very good Mikoto-san."

Oh my. That finally seemed to get Kushina out of her Solomon-induced trance, as she stared angrily at the two of them. Jealousy, jealousy, here you come. And hadn't Arba quite missed that. Good thing to know that no matter the world, the life, the millenium, Solomon would _never_ be able to understand women. No amount of intense training with their womanizer of a sensei would ever change that simple fact.

"Hardly!" Mikoto giggled, right on clue. "Minato-kun's is the one looking _good_ , don't you think Kushina-chan?"

As predicted, her teanmate looked startled at the 'chan' she had used on purpose. As if he had realized just now his two female nemesis might have made use of his long absence to bond over their common acquaintance. Oh yes, _so much teasing_ , her polite grin promised to the blond, shameless. _So much_. Starting _now_.

"What...what are you talking about, Mikoto?" Kushina rilled herself up, defensive. "Still a sassy wimp, didn't noticed a change."

Minato visibly deflated at that, as Mikoto silently cackled in glee. Those two hopeless fools. Had Arba not pushed the two of them together the first time, they would have never gotten their head out of their butt. "Nonsense! Have you not noticed those inches he took? And the biceps! My, Minato-kun, I had no idea you had any of those!"

A huge laugh interruped whatever answer a mortified Minato had been trying to give, as their giant sensei threw his arm around his favorite student's still shouders. "Haha, told you the ladies would eat in your palm if you followed my advices, Minato!" And then, in a admirable attempt _not_ to leer at her, Jiraiya finally greeted the student he had left behind. "Mikoto-chan! Haven't you grow into a stunning woman while we were gone?"

Ah, good ol' Jiraiya. He, unlike his student, hadn't change one bit, still the same perverted _fool_. Fine, Mikoto liked her 'figures of authority' better that way in any case.

"I try, Sensei, I try," she smiled sweetly.

.

.

Mikoto took a sip of poorly made tea, held back her wince of disgust and put her cup back on the table. Had she not known Minato and his counterpart's character like the back of her hand, she might have assumed her partner was trying to poison her.

"That bad?" Minato's shoulders slumped with disappointment. "I thought I've gotten better."

He had actually. At twelve, her teammate made a mockery of tea that tasted closer to a biologial weapon than any kind of editable beverage. Although very far from Uchiha's criteria, his last attempt at the very least wouldn't _kill_ her. Probably.

"Let's just say cooking still isn't your strong point," Mikoto smiled benevolently to her teammate. "But you didn't left on a year-long journey to practice your tea-making skills in the first place."

"Ah, no, I guess," Minato grinned sheepishly. "But I did work on my sake-pourring talent."

What, their sensei, drinking and whoring, while he was supposed to dedicate his attention to his favorite genius student? _Shocking_.

"Anyway, thank you for taking care of my flat! Is there any way I could repay you for the trouble?"

Sure. You could have the decency to die for good, and _stay dead_. "It was no trouble at all, Minato-kun. Truth to be told, having the occasion to leave the compount every once in a while did work wonder on my mood."

Now, Arba loved spending time messing with her relatives' so fragile sanity, but a girl needed some privacy from time to time. If only to dust Minato's tiny flat and restrain herself from burning the entire building. It wasn't like she didn't already have in-depth experience with clean up after Solomon's bullshit.

Minato's smile strained a bit at the confession. "Yes...I heard you semi-retired..."

Oh my, news ran quickly. Indeed, while Jiraiya and Minato took a sabbatic year, Mikoto's father had pushed his daughter to retire to an administrative position instead of taking active missions and poursuing her career as an actual kunoichi. After all, she was his only heir, it wouldn't do at all for her to die in the middle of nowhere before spawing a few sons for the Clan. Mikoto could have told him to fuck off had she wished to, but truthfully, it suited her plans just fine. Taking off the steam by decapitating foreign shinobis was all good and games, but Arba would rather put her time to better use. Like keep on worsening relashions between Uchiha and Konoha. Now, that was _true fun_.

"Ah, you know how it is," she shruggled. "Clan duties."

Of course he didn't. Orphan tragic backstory and stuff. So sad. If she had the emotional capacity, she woud cry.

"Right," Minato forced a smile. "I know it's not my business, but I can't help but worry about you. I mean, it was your dream to become a kunoichi..."

Perhaps it had been Mikoto's dream indeed, before she got a taste of what it really meant to be kunoichi. Before Arba. Not that it mattered anymore now.

Mikoto lowered her eyes, staring at her hands resting on her lap. Time to play the emotional card. Solomon had always been a sucker for those. "I do not wish to got back to the battlefield, Minato-kun. I consider myself done with that life."

"Oh. Yes, of course, I understand," her teammate replied mournfully. Probably remembering their first disastrous real life confrontation with the ugliness of this rotten world. Ah, good ol' Masato. "But I just want to tell...if you need help of any kind, I will be there for you."

Right. That was why both Sensei and him, the only members left of her genin team had left her to rot in Konoha to the mercy of her Clan's plot, while they frolicked all over the Element Countries. Completly reliable friend material here. Not that Mikoto cared, but still.

"Likewise, Minato-kun," she smiled warmly, before going straight for the kill. "Especially if you need love advices with Kushina-san!" Arba had plenty experience to share in giving love advices. More than she would wish to have in any case.

His groan of embarrassment rewarded her well for her trouble. Really, he should be immune to the innuendo by now.

.

.

Among other hobbies such as murdering or embarrassing to death Solomon or Sheba, Arba quite enjoyed cooking. The fact she amused herself thinking how she could poison her food might or might not enter into consideration.

"Mikoto."

Interrupted in the middle of a quite satisfaying session of slaying vegetables, Mikoto turned her head towards her father, rather taken aback. She honestly had no idea he even knew where the kitchen was, for the amount of attention he had paid to this part of the house before. Truly, Uchiha Makoto should be grateful he had such a dedicated daughter to keep him afloat.

"Father? Do you need something?" she blinked to him, tilting her head to the side with confusion.

He crossed his arms, looking as welcoming and warm as ever. Which meant not at all. "I heard Jiraiya and his student came back."

'Jiraiya and his student', he said. As if Mikoto had not mattered at all. She bit back a laugh at his unsubtle remimber as she turned back to her vegetables.

"I also heard you went to meet them," the Uchiha Clan head added, when it became clear that his daughter was not eager to share her intel on the matter.

Oh, he was worried she was having a change of heart regarding this whole 'woman at home' business. How _adorable_. Mikoto could be quite obtuse when it suited her too. "Yes?" she answered innocently. "What about it?"

He frowned at her, playing the role of the stern father to the _perfection_. Mikoto gave the performance at least a 7, if only because she was quite impressed by the depth he could drop the corners of his mouth _on purpose_. "I hope you are still aware of your importance to the clan."

That was typical Uchiha behavior. They couldn't be honest and forthcoming even between each other. Her beloved genitor could have said: 'I need you to pop up proper heirs for the Clan, not pathetic failures like you who couldn't even activate their Sharingan.' But no, he had to go ahead and try to make her feel guilty. They really should work on their communication skills.

On second thought, perhaps not. Someone might notice what she was doing otherwise. It wouldn't do yet.

"Of course not, Father," she smiled dermurely, in accordance to the respectful daughter persona she had to maintien. "I did promise I would marry Fugaku-san after my sixteenth birthday, didn't I? You need not to worry, I understand perfectly well."

And once she was done with him, her fiancé would be eating in her palm like a good dog.


	4. Chapter 4

Title : Singing lullabies

Summary : It's almost too easy to make an Uchiha fall into depravity, Mikoto noticed as she pushed many of her clanmen over the metaphorical edge. Mostly because no one is surprised when it happens. Uchiha Mikoto-is-Arba Centric, Magi x Naruto Crossover. Dark.

Disclaimer : Neither Naruto or Magi are mine.

Rated M : not really a sunshine-and-rainbow fic, just so you know

Note : I'm not beta'ed and Engligh isn't my first langage

* * *

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IV. Lovers and puppets

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Arba had been born out of nothing. She was just an extension of Elder David's magic, meant to serve his son. She had no parents, no siblings, no family. She only had a purpose, and its name was Solomon.

Until the damned brat tried to kill _God_ , that's it. It would seem even the blind loyalty of a puppet litteraly born to serve had its limits after all.

Mikoto however, had more clanmates that she could count. She was the only daughter of the proud Clan Leader, cousin of so many black-haired heads she couldn't possibly be expected to remember the names of them all, and fiancée of the prodigious Uchiha Fugaku. She was a big sister figure for the youngest, a support of the oldest, a trusted camarad for her pairs. A pillar of kindness and wisdom for all her clan, despite her apparent weakness.

And she watched them all, and smiled sweetly as expected of the responsable-but-nice persona she kept on pulling on, yet she only saw puppets. So many puppets for her to use, just waiting to be broken and reshaped as her tools, their hearts full of bitterness, so eager to fall into blind hate, their minds constantly dancing with the madness inherant to their damned bloodline. And they all ate into her hand, the blind fools.

The Cursed Clan. It was like Uchihas had been _created_ for her to play with, really. And, who know, maybe they had. She certainly liked the idea.

And here came her _favorite_ tool. Mikoto waved enthustiascally at her fiancé as he approached her door, his permanent scowl relaxing for a few seconds.

Uchiha Fugaku. He had been the biggest point of disagreement beeteween Minato and herself. Not because the blonde held any romantic feelings towards her ( _ugh_ ), but for her teammate was convinced she was being forced into the arranged marriage. Honestly, had she only been little Mikoto, he probably would have been right. But Arba? But Arba hadn't been forced to do anything since old David's days, a billion lifetimes ago.

Uchiha Fugako, the poor simple minded fool, never stood a chance. But Minato still had that ridiculous notion he had to protect Mikoto, including from herself and her ironically narrow-sighed clan. So revoltingly _cute_.

"Mikoto-san," her teammate had proclaimed as she announced him the _great_ news a few weeks after his return from his bounding trip with Jiraya. "I know I can't truly understand your feelings, since I don't have a clan of my own, but as your friend, I must beg you reconsider your decision."

She had faked uncomprehesion to the unusually bold declaration, while trying so hard not to laugh at his oblivious discomfort. That was _so sweet_. So Solomon-like she wanted to to crush him right and there. But the time would came for that. And Arba was nothing but patient.

"I'm not foolish enough to pretend understanding the matters of your heart," and there Minato blushed a bit, just like her foolish King had when he began noticing that, yes, Sheba was actually a grown woman, and a very decided one with that. "But even I can tell you don't love Uchiha-san."

So he did have noticed. Well, Minato had always be unusually observant for a teenager. Except when it came to one Uzumaki Kushina. After all, Solomon had always desperantly clueless when it came to romantic areas, and Minato wasn't any better. One could have thought that the constant proximity with perverted Jiraiya for a whole year would have insensibized him about those things, but nooo.

"It's not a matter of love, Minato-kun," Mikoto had sighed with a sad but resigned smile. "It's for the good of the clan. I'm the only direct child of the current leader, and can't possibly inherit, you know that."

That was one bold lie. Had she wanted, Mikoto would have no trouble taking lead of the clan, regardless of her sexe. However, Arba had always been one to rule in the shadows, and she would rather keep on doing so. Therefore, she hid her Mangekyo Sharingan, and how could she explained that anyway, and worked on her persona of a weak but dutiful kunoichi, who never could awake the cursed bloodline Uchihas were so proud of, but would nonethless sacrifice her happiness for the clan's sake.

What a joke.

"Fugaku-san would be a good leader, it's the best compromise we can come with. Besides, he's not that bad, you know. Once you passed the carapace of awkwardness, I mean. Let's hope he never hear me telling that though," she had joked weakly. Yet the young shinobi ate all her words. Damn, she was so good.

"I...see," had finally capitulated Minato with a resigned sigh. "But let me tell you the moment you change your mind, I will be there for you. I hope you know that."

"Are you planning to take me in if my clan throw me out, Minato-kun ? In your one-piece flat ?" Mikoto had laughed with a mirth that was hardly faked. Only thinking about the faces her 'father' and the Elders would make if she eloped with the blonde orphan, leaving at the altar a stoic Fugaku, made her day.

"If necessary. Let's hope it won't come to that, though."

"You're right. I doubt Kushina-chan would be thrilled," the Uchiha heiress had mused with a sly grin.

Checkmate. The best way to divert Minato from her tragic lovelife would be to divert the conversation to his own. Worked. Every. Single. Time.

"That's not...I mean... it has nothing to..to do with..." he had stammered, face red as his crush's hair. He couldn't even say her name.

And so the conversation had been over. Crisis adverted.

.

.

"Fugaku-san!" she smiled at the stern man as he reached her house. "Are you here to see my father?"

She knew he wasn't, since the two of them had met just yesterday, probably to brood over Konoha unfairness towards them, or something of that acabit. So predictable.

"No," he stopped there, obviously embarrassed, so out of his comfort-zone. "I wondered if maybe Mikoto-san would be inclined to accompagn me to dinner ?"

Oh my. Was he seriously trying to _woo_ her? How precious. At least he hadn't asked her to go training. She bet he had been coached by one of their less socially awkward cousins on the fine art of seduction. The Fugaku she knew only had a vague knowlegde of the nebullous concept of romance. Mostly as something that happened to _other_ people. Not-shinobi people, even less Uchiha-people.

"You mean, like a... _date_?" she managed the feat to fake a pretty blush, not like those huge red face Sheba came with when Arba teased her about their oblivious King.

Her fiancé figdeted, avoiding her eyes, and nodded. Mikoto wanted to laugh and laugh again until she died of it, because what the hell? The guy was just _asking_ for it, throwing himself in her clutches. Might as well serve himself on a platter for her to break.

Too bad Mikoto had a reputation to uphold. She, with an impressive display of shyness, accepted his offer.

It didn't take more than a few 'dates' for him to pour his heart's content to her. Men were so weak. A innocent hand on his own, a few comprehensive meaningless words, a little show of a scrap of cleavage and he was all hers to _eat_. One could think all that shinobi training had been for _nothing_. But to be fair, Fugaku had no idea he should have suspected his clanmate and fiancée of duplicity. Not loyal, sweet, gentle _Mikoto_. Fools, fools, the very lot of them. Not that she would have it any other way. But honestly, just a bit of actual _challenge_ would have been nice, for once. A girl might get bored after a while of the same old routine. Manipulation, emotional trauma, murder, genocide, it was all fun and giggle the first time, but it did get old after a while. Been there, done that.

Unfortunatly, for her trouble she hadn't learned much she didn't already knew. Uchihas were exploited by a ungrateful village, controlled by the Senju and as of late their loyal sidekick Sarutobi, blablabla, proud clan rubbish, establishing their right place, blablabla, for the good of the clan and their children, the greater good, blablabla.

The Clan wasn't planning a coup _yet,_ but it was only a matter of time. She would see to that eventually, for nothing was easier to manipulate than ressentiment.

.

.

They married a bright day in spring, three months after her sixteenth birthday. Minato and Kushina smiled at her during the ceremony, and sulked when they thought she couldn't see them. Father almost looked happy when the vows were done and dealt with. She guessed he had actually been worried she would leave her fiancé to the altar to elope with Minato.

Fugaku even _smiled_ at her. My, she had no idea he had the necessary facial muscles to do so. For the effort, she went as far as to fake moans of pleasure when he ruted in her during their wedding night.

Let it not be said Arba was not dedicated to the cause.


End file.
